Want to build India ties, says Canada foreign min

Canadian foreign minister Anita Anand has said that Prime Minister Mark Carney's government looks forward to building its partnership with India as part of diversifying and building relationships globally, even as she acknowledged that pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing continues to cast a shadow on bilateral ties.

- Anirudh Bhattacharyya

TORONTO:

She said Ottawa was taking the relationship forward one step at a time. "At the same time, we are looking forward to continuing to build this partnership, and we're looking forward to that as a government — it's not just me," Anand, an Indo-Canadian, told the Canadian newspaper Globe and Mail.

Anand emphasised that the rule of law will never be compromised, as she referred to the Nijjar killing.

Anand said that Nijjar's killing continues to impact the bilateral ties. "We are certainly taking it one step at a time. As I mentioned, the rule of law will never be compromised, and there is an ongoing investigation regarding the [Nijjar] case that you mentioned."

Then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the Canadian House of Commons that there were "credible allegations" of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing three months after Nijjar was murdered in June 2023 in British Columbia's Surrey. India dismissed the accusation as "absurd" and "motivated". Four Indian nationals were arrested in connection with the murder last year.

Anand echoed Carney about renewing the relationship with India. She added that the investigation into Nijjar's murder will continue under the auspices of an independent agency.

On May 25, Anand spoke to her Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar.

She thanked him for the productive discussion on strengthening Canada-India ties, deepening economic cooperation, and advancing shared priorities. Anand said she looked forward to continuing their work together. Jaishankar said they discussed the prospects of India-Canada ties.